Electbically-woundclock



S'ept. 3, 1929. w. F. EYLES 1,726,734

' ELECTRICALLY WOUND CLOCK Filed Jan. 21, 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet l AWorne Sept. 3, 1929. w. F. EYLES 1,726,734

ELECTRI CALLY WOUND CLOCK Filed Jan. 21, 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 E! 4:;- 2g 18 15.3. 0/7 I 6 I a O a f I P T 3:

O a? O 3.9 v w 34 l 63 62 3 43 B wmmmtnw (-WYorn ag Sept. 3, 1929. w. F. EYLES ELECTRICALLY WOUND CLOCK Filed Jan. 21. 1924 3 Sheets-Sheet 0 9 WM 6 8 5 w w/ /4 z B mm W 3m m 3 5 M m w 1 3 m 2. M

Patented Sept. 3, 1929.

sunr se STATES .WILLIAM F. EYLES, F onaunniirms. xonisau.

EL cTa cAL z-woUNn onoox.

Application fi1et1'iani1ary 21, 1924.

This invention relates to an automatic electrically 'wound clock adapted for use particularly with automobiles but capableof use anywhere-any cloek is desired. -Tl'l8'll1- vcntion isconcern'ed with -many novel mechanisms and arrangements of parts for effec-tively windingthe spring actuating the clock mechanismfperiodically, in practice every five minutes; for causing said winding through the action of applied electric power; for making sure and durable contacts which will not get outoforder eitherunder the vibration of an automobile on which it may be carried, or from arcing of the current used; for preventing the running down of the clock and total using up' of the entire power of he spring should. at any time. the source of electric energy used be cut off or otherwise be incapacitated; and for generali y simplifying and'ina'king practical. a clock of thischaracter. All of these features. as well as many others not specifically statel'dat this time together with novel constructions iorattaining thesame, will appear as understandiiigof the invention is had from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of the mechanism with one of the side plates removed to show the samefvarious parts being left out for sake of clearness of disclosure.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the clock on the line 2 2 of Fig. 3 illustrating the means used to wind the spring.

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section through the clock mechanism. v p

Fig. at is a view similar tothat shown in Fig. 1 with additional parts removed to disclose other features of construction covered up or obscured in the showing in Fig. 1.

Figs. 5 and 6 are perspective views of details of construction, more specific "outline of which will appear in the description of the mechanism, and N Fig, 7, is a diagrammatic outline of the electrical circuit used in winding the clock springv p Q Like reference characters refer to like parts in the different figures of the drawings.

In the construction. a series of circular plates l. Qand 3 are used. the same being spaced apart by spacing sleeves t and connected together in such spaced apart relation in any conventional manner. Plate 3 is at the front, plate .1. attlie back and plate 2 between said plates 1 and 3, and as connected $erial No. 687,411. p i-- M 7 l 1 l t together form a supporting; frame. for. the clock mechanism. =The intermdiaterplate 2 at its upper portion: is cut awaywhere the electro. magnets are mounted so as not to interfere with the same: Said plates and sleeves 4 arepreferablymadeof brass;

As relatively: heavy bar 5 5 is Y permanently secured across/the frame and between the plates 1 and 3 servingas a' support for-two cores 6 of two electro magnets the windings of which are :indicated. at=7. .uThe cores are supported at one endand are attached 'to'the bar '5 by means of screws 8;:extending horizontally' and in parallel relation; to each other. Adjacent the free-ends of the cores, an arm atu're plate 9 is=located and is pivotally mounted-T'between-theplates 1- and 3, having pintles l0'projeeting from each end and near the upper edge thereof. which pintles pass through" suitable openings in 'saidplates land 3; -'Two'arms 11':(Fig.-6)

extend downwardly in spaced'apart relation from'the' plate 9 atone end thereof, and a third "arm "12 extends downwardly from adjacent the opposite end thereof. This plate 9 is'ofiron so as to be attracted by the cores when the same are energized and renderedmagnetic. 1 l I A 'pa' 'l-13 is'pivotally mounted at one end on api vot pin 14 extending between the arms 11. A spring 15 isc'oiled around a rod 16 located between arms'll' and has an arm 15 extended to bear against the upper side of the pawl 18, normally"impelling the same downwardly so as to always keep it in engagement with a ratchet wheel 17 (Figs. 2 and 3) formed on1asleeve'18'which' is rota.- tably mounted on a stud shaft 19 attached to and projecting'forwardly from the back plate -1. A' coiled spring 20 is located around the sleeve'18 in frontbfthe ratchet wheel 17 and atone end is attached to said wheell A second pawl 21" engages with the ratchet'wh'eel 17 (see Fig. '2) to prevent any backward -'inovement thereof under the influence of the spring'which normally is wound to a certain degree of tension.

The'free end of the spring is formed into a loop 22 (see Fig. 3) which passes through .a slot in the end of a shaft- 23 r'otably mounted on and passing thro'ughthe plates 2 and'3. On the front end ofthis shaft. the minute hand of the clock is adapted to beattached. On the shaft back of the front plate 3 a gear 24 is fixed'and back'of the gear a second ratchet wheel having twelve teeth is secured, as indicated at 25. The gear 24 meshes with a pinion 26 secured to a second gear 27 and fixed .on a second shaft 28. Gear 27 engages with a second pinion 29 on a third shaft 30 at the front endofwhich the seconds hand is adapted to be secured. A third gear 31 is fixed on'shaft-3O and a short bar 32 is also fixed to this shaft. Gear 31 m'eshes with'a pinion =32 (see'Fig. l) which is operatively connected with the usual cscapement mechanism. used in clocks or watches. When'the spring 20 is under tension, it serves'to drive the train of gearing outlined the same-as in'any clock, governed and controlled by the usual 'escapement mechanism which not shown herein as it is old and well known and foinismo part of the'invention in the .present' case.

On the front side-of--the 1 )late--2, a bracket 33'ispermanentlly secured and spaced apart therefrom are-two like brackets 34which are fixed to the plate. =1A rod 35 isdisposed between the upper end of the bracket33 and the. upper bracket 3 and alike rod-36' between the lower end of t 1e bracket 33 and the-lower bracket 34. 'These rods'35 and 36 are parallel and serveas g'uides on which an irregularly'sha-ped member 37- is sli'dably mounted. The member '37 has an upwardly projecting part- 38 throughwh-iclrthe upper rod'35 freely passes, and atone end has=a horizontal-arm 39, the free end of which-is turned upward, as at 40 so'as'to come directly in linewith the part 12 on the armature plate-,9, lying in the sa-nievertical plane therewith. -Meinber- 37 is also provided with a downwardly extending portion 41 slotted at its lowerend, through which the lower rod 36'passes,'as shown in 'Fig.-.5. On=the rod 36 and embracing the lower end of the portion 41 .is a 'U-shaped member 42 formed with upwardly extending legs 43 and 44, the latterpf which terminates in a. cam projection45 while the-former has 'an extension of reduced thickness, as indicated at 46' in which a slot 47 is cut. The legs 43 and 44 of the U-shaped member pass at opposite edges of the portion'41and with the movement of either member on therod 36, the other must move withit, as is evident.

A coiled spring 48 is located around the upper rod 35 between the bracket 34 and the projecting portion 38 of member 37 and a second spring 49 is'loeated around the rod 36, both being subject to compression and normally acting to move themember 37-so that its portion 38 is -brought-against the. upper portion of bracket 33 and the part .40 against the arm-12,-as shown in'Fig. 4. The lower spring 49 is also a torsion spring, one end thereof being extended to bear against the face of the plate 2 (see Fig. 4), the opposite end being bent to pass through slot 47 and then extended to provide an arm 50 which terminates in an-end section 51 bent at right angles to the arm 50 and so located that in one position of the member 42, as shown in F ig. 3, it inter-poses in the path of movement of the member 32 fixed on shaft 30.

A block of insulating material, 53 is mounted between the member 37 and the plate 2, passing through a slot 52 in the member 37 which is longer than the said block. This block is formed with outwardly extending flanges 54 between member 37 and plate 2 and has aprojecting portion 53' passing through a slot 55 in plate 2 (see Fig. 7), said slot being of the same length as slot 52. At one end of the block a metal piece 56 is secured. A

flat bar of spring metal, indicated at 57 bears at its free end against the piece 56 and is se cured at its opposite end to a post 58 mounted on the plate 2 but insulated therefrom by insulation disks 59. Anwire 60 connects the post 58 with one end of the windings 7 of the electro magnets. A second contact bar 61 similar to the bar:57 bears at its free end against the block and at its opposite end is permanently secured to a post 62 connected to the plates 2 and 1 and insulated therefrom by disks 63. At the outer end of post62 a binding post 64 is provided to which a wire 65 is secured, which wire connects to the opposite end of the series winding for the electro magnets, anelectric battery 66' being interposed in the length of wire 65, as shown in Fig. 7. It is evident that if block 53 is moved to the left (referring to Fig.7) until the piece 56 comes under the contact bar 61, an electric circuit is completed through the electro manet windings which will serve to energize the cores 6 with a consequent movement of-the armature plate 9 toward the cores and a longitudinal movement of the pawl 13 whereby the ratchet wheel 17 is rotated and spring 20 partly wound and its tension increased.

Projecting from the lower part of the bracket 33 isan arm 67 in which a tapered pin 68 is adjustably mounted. This pin extends over the cam projection 45, as shown in Fig. 4 in one position of the member 37 and acts to turn the U-shaped member 42 against the torsion of spring 36. As shown in Fig. 1, the cam projection 45 extends under the second ratchet wheel 25 and serves as a dog to engage therewith, being disengaged gradually therefrom as the tapered pin acts on the said part 45 to force the same downward, as will appear in the following description of the operation of the mechanism:

In the beginning, the spring 20 is wound to a certain predetermined degree of tension under which the mechanism will best run 'and which remains nearly constant at all times duringthe operation of the clock. Assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Fig. 4, both contacts 57 and 61 are in contact engagement with the bridge piece 56 and the circuit is completed through the magnet windings. The cores 6 draw position and broken on movement of the member bysa-id armature .to a second position, substantially as described.

4. ;In a clock, clock mechanism, a driving spring connected with said clock mechanism, a ratchet wheel connected withthe spring, elcctr0-magnets,; a movably mounted armature located at one end-of the magnets, a pawl onthc armature having one end engaging the ratchet vwheel, a second ratchet wheel connecting said iportion :irom the ratchet wheel on movem t of the first member under the influence of .said spring means a predetermined distance, an electric --circuit including the magnet windings, and switch -.means actuated by said movable-member to close the circuit after disconnection of said portionfrom the second ratc het wheel and br'eak.tl1e circuit on movement of the said memberadistance in the opposite direction under the action-of the armature.

5. In a device of the character described, combination of elments defined inelaim 4,

combined with -means' for automatically stopping the clock mechanism after a short interval on failure of the source of electric supply for the circuit, substantially as described.

6. In-a clock, clock mechanism, a spring for driving the same, a movable member having a .slot therein, a block of insulating material mounted to project through said slot, electro magnets, a movably mounted armature plate at one end of the magnets, means actuated by the movement of the plate toward the magnets for winding the spring, means for moving the member on movement of the armature plate toward the plates, means'normally tending to move the member in the opposite direction, wires leading from the magnet windings, one of said wires having a source of electric energy interposed in its length, and a contact member connected with the free end of each wire and bearing at its free end against the said block, said block having a metal bridge piece at one end against which one of the contact members bears at all times, the adjacent ends of the contact members being separated a short distance.

.7. In a clock," clock mechanism, a spring for driving the :same, a--pivotally mounted armature, means for magnetically actuating the armature'in one directionat periodicintervals, means con nected'fto the/spring 0pvcrated by saidfarmature when it is actu .with the rachetf-WheeLto; turn the same in .onedirection, ,a springwound by the rotationot-said. shaft, additional spring means operatively {associated with fi clock mechanlsm to aid the first spring in driving the same when, tensioned, means for ,tensioning said add tlonal-sprmg means at' the same timethe first'springis .wound, vand lIlcans for periodically magnetically operating said armatureto wind the first springand tension the second named spring means, substantially as described 9. In a cloclnclock mechanism, atorsion spring for driving the same, a pivotally mounted armatu're, magnetic means for'periodically movirigthe armature in one direction, means 4 for. winding-the tors on spring from said ;arma tnre onIits movement In said direction, additional spring means operatively associated with the clock mechanism,to aid in driving-the same when tensioned, and, means for. tensioning said additional spring meanssimultanwusly with the winding. of the torsion spring.

10. In a clock, clockrmechanism,,a torsion spring .for driving the same, a ,pivotally mounted armature, magnetic means for periodicallycmoving said armature in one direction, means interposed between the armature and torsion spring for winding-the same on said movement of the armature, additional spring means operatively associated with the clock mechanismto aid in driving the same, and means for simultaneously tensioning said additional spring means with the winding of the first spring.

11. In .a clock, clock mechanism and a rotating member, a spring to drive said clockmechanism, electric means to periodically tension said. spring includinga reciprocable circuit breaker and .an arm movable with said reciprocable circuit breaker into the path of said rotating member when the circuit breaker is in circuit closing position i and out of the path of the rotating member when the circuit breaker is in open circuit position.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

WILLIAM F. I, 

